Types of Call Centers

There are different types of call centers, namely, inbound call centers, outbound call centers, web enabled call centers, CRM call centers, telemarketing call centers and telephone call centers.

Inbound call centers aid to handle calls coming from outside, mostly through toll free numbers. The services of inbound call centers are designed to handle catalog orders, and desk queries. They also incorporate customer care services, predict customer behavior and take action while the customers are still on the line. Inbound call centers employ teams of live operators, account representatives and program managers.

The success of outbound call centers depends on their extensive experience, technological solutions, quality assurance programs and commitment to customer service excellence. They ensure maximum results from direct marketing efforts. The integrated call management systems in outbound call centers systematically direct calls to consumers and transfer successful connections to a selected marketing representative (MR).

The use of web-enabled call centers are also on the increase these days. Web enabled call centers can fetch answers to questions or resolve customer service issues without having to disconnect from the Internet. A web enabled call center improves e-commerce initiatives by offering high quality customer service.

Telephone call centers offer flexible call routing and predictive dialing systems. Utilizing advanced telephony and Internet technology, the customer service representatives (CSR's) at the phone call centers provide accurate and timely information for the most complex inbound or outbound programs. Phone call centers offer personalized call management by a team of professional operators who personally know about the client and his business.

Call Centers provides detailed information on Call Centers, Inbound Call Centers, Outsourcing Call Centers, Conference Call Centers and more. Call Centers is affiliated with Call Center CRM Solutions.

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Call Center Facts and Fallacies

Planning on working for a contact center? Good decision. You'll be able to see yourself in a whole new light and gain a little more respect for yourself. But, do you really know what you're getting yourself into? Here are some facts and fallacies you may or may not already know which will probably help you gain some insight into the wonderful world of the contact center industry.

• Not all shifts in a call center are 'graveyard.' Although choice is a luxury you may not have as of the moment, your schedule will depend on the time zone of the country you will be assigned to and whether or not you will be assigned to 'voice' or 'non-voice' support like email and chat (although chat requires real-time support).

• The quality of sleep you get during the day does not measure up to the quality of sleep you will get at night. Say what you will, but the reality is that the human body was NOT designed to work at nights and sleep during the day. Nonetheless, get used to it.

• Stress is no laughing matter. It is a reality and it affects everyone, no exemptions. Sadly the effects are sometimes more than just physical but also psychological. Long work hours, intermittent night shifts, high work targets, and loss of identity are just some of what a call center agent is to expect. The odd schedules and nature of work keeps people planted to their chairs 9 hours a day, reading scripted conversations repeatedly - more often to irate customers from all parts of the globe. Since we're all about facts, here's a sad reality: Every single second of an employee's time is recorded, measured and automatically logged onto a computer for praise or censure on a weekly basis. Even walking down to the water or coffee station for a drink and a chat with a friend can mess up your performance metrics, salaries, and benefits. It's just challenging to juggle listening, watching and talking - all at the same time. Left untreated or unresolved, the burnout can lead to repeated sickness absenteeism.

• The BPO industry is fully aware of these health issues and is doing their best to address it timely and properly. Call centers provide agents with sleeping quarters, recreation rooms, out-of-town activities with their respective teams, not to mention competitive compensation and benefits including health packages to address their health concerns.

• Contrary to some beliefs, drinking coffee may not be that beneficial for your performance during your shift. Caffeine is generally accepted as a mild diuretic which speeds up the urination process (meaning frequent bio-breaks), but at the same time depletes calcium, which is lost through urine. Caffeine can dry out the mouth, which would lead to difficulty in speaking (not to mention that nasty 'coffee breath').

• Smoking contributes to stress and in no way, shape or form is stress diminished from smoking.

• Being fashionable is an acceptable way of expressing yourself.

• BPO agents receive higher salaries and benefits, unfortunately for some, saving are an alien concept. Except for those agents supporting their families who're capable of sending bigger amount of money.

There are still other things you'll discover in a call center that might shock you, surprise you, or even both. These are things you must discover without prejudice. Alongside the assurance of increased knowledge in both technical knowledge and soft-skills is culture enhancement. This means the manner on how you deal with inter-office politics and gossip, being able to deal with both the young and old, and most specially, being politically correct at all times so as not to offend the people in your office surroundings.

Contact Center - any 'call center' that offers not just 'voice' related services (answering services, order taking, appointment setting, etc) but also 'non-voice' services (chat and email support, postal mail catalogs, Web site inquiries, etc).

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Call Center Interview Questions And How To Tackle Them

If a company has a large number of customers, but doesn't have the capability to handle calls from those customers, they might contract a call center. These firms help with airline reservations, directory assistance, computer technical help, and other important customer service functions. They are generally staffed with both technically trained and non-technical employees, depending on the job needed. Many students apply for call center jobs because the schedules are flexible in most cases.

All call centers screen their employees, just as any other job would. If you're applying for a job at a call center and are nervous about the interview, you might be wondering what kind of questions you'll be asked. Following are the top 5 call center questions, and the best way to be prepared for them.

- "Tell us about you previous experience working for a call center services. Describe how you helped the customers."

This question might arise in the middle of the interview, or at any other point during the process. It's important to review and consider your past work history before interviewing with the call center. Be prepared to describe highlights of any past call center work you've done, and describe any times when you've worked successfully with others. Call centers like to look for people they would consider team players. Be sure not to make up any exploits at previous jobs. It's important to always tell the truth in a job interview.

- "Are you proficient with different kinds of software? What kind of computer experience do you have?"

Internet telephony is common in most call centers. This kind of technology is less expensive than using a landline. Call centers also maintain computer databases of customers, and are concerned with your ability to rapidly learn to navigate and use such software. Log files must generally be created after each call, and most employees must also know such basic office software as MS Word, Excel, etc.

- Question number three isn't a spoken question, but rather the interest of your interviewer in how you conduct yourself. They will be judging you on your communication skills and grammar to see how you might interact with a customer on the phone. Remember to speak clearly and concisely. Choose your words carefully.

- "What does a call center mean to you?"

This seemingly harmless question is a way for your prospective employer to gauge how serious you are, and what your commitment to the job will be. This standard question should be replied to earnestly, and it's important not to give the impression that you are planning to leave as soon as a better opportunity comes along. Interviewers are usually looking for employees that will stay with the company for a long time and make a career out of their job.

- "What do you consider to be the important of teamwork?"

Employers tend to prefer people who like to work in a team. Loners have a lower chance of being hired. Be sure to let your interviewers know that you can work in a team without becoming stressed or hostile. Management books about the value of teamwork can help you find the words you need to express the value of teamwork in the workplace.

These top 5 call center interview questions are among those you might expect to hear when you're applying for a job. Technical jobs will have more questions on the technical subject, while non-technical jobs might focus more on teamwork and interpersonal interaction. Whichever job you're applying for, be sure to be prepared to answer these questions and be on the ball. For more information about call center interview questions visit our bpo services blog. 

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Pros And Cons of Offshore Call Centers

Off shore call centers provide business owners with the ability to outsource important business tasks. We have heard a lot of hype stating that most Australian companies rather go offline than staying local by employing the services of an offshore call center. This might be true for larger corporations but it also poses many risks of which the biggest would be customer dissatisfaction. Business owners are well advised to weigh the pros and cons of going offshore when considering call center management solutions. We have looked at the pros and cons of offshore call centers and came up with a list of pointers to consider before you make your decision.

Pros:

- There is no doubt that offshore call centers offer very high competitive rates. This start with the fact that overseas wages (India mainly since most offshore call centers are based in India) and the cost of living is a lot less than in Australia. Were Indian workers might have a sufficient lifestyle with some $5/hour; Australians would never be able to do the same.

- Another bonus is the fact that India has some of the highest trained IT professionals in the world. If you’re outsourcing requires an IT help desk, then going offshore might be beneficial to your business after all. Obviously costs would have to be compared against each other as well as usability.

Cons:

- The fact remains that staying local will provide a better service. Having the ability to drop into your local call center will provide many business owners with peace of mind. Not only does this help them to get to know key staff but it also helps the staff itself being able to get an insiders view (by means of direct conversations) about the business in question.

- State regulations are sometimes very strict. With the increased security of no call lists, call center operators have to abide by the official rules. No call lists offer private individuals to be blocked from telemarketing calls with certain restrictions.

- A great pro of going local is the quality standard control. It's not that India doesn't provide some form of standards whilst dealing with clients, but often our own standards seem somewhat higher than theirs. This is especially important since customer service is directly related to a high standard. If there is a lack of control and quality, chances are that customers will run.

- With increased security issues we are dealing with an ever-evolving level of awareness by consumers. People are getting smarter all the time when giving out private information and by going local your clients are assured top quality privacy protection.

- Last but not least there is a huge language barrier between offshore call center staff and local staff. Customers are increasingly becoming frustrated by straining to understand an overseas call center operator. Often their knowledge of the English language is next to none but the problem starts with the way it is being phrased. Many Australians prefer to hear a familiar accent when marketed to. It provides them with a sense of familiarity and security and they are more receptive to offers.

In the end, whether you are choosing to go offshore or not depends on two things mainly. First, if your budget is more suited to an offshore call center, then you have no other options. But if you rather place client service before everything else, you might be better suited to go local.

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Cleave Global – A Quality Organization

Cleave Global is a leading BPO services provider in India with an aim to deliver very high quality standards. The spokesperson of the company re-iterated that “Cleave Global has always been committed to excellence in delivering high quality call center services across variety of industry verticals.” Cleave Global strives to meet or exceed client’s expectations all the time. There are quality policies in place to monitor benchmark and continually improve the bpo service processes and employees performance to serve the clients efficiently. These policies are designed by industry specialists who have considerable amount of experience and are six sigma professionals. They thoroughly train the bpo service agents to ensure the best service to the clients. The continuous positive feedback on the customer satisfaction makes them competent and very efficient all the time.

The primary objectives for the quality team of Cleave Global are to exceed customer expectations and to sustain business growth. Cleave Global management is committed to the quality endeavor by providing all the necessary resources in terms of manpower, skills and tools etc. The Review meetings are conducted regularly to monitor the effectiveness and continuing suitability of the system. They make sure that the international standards within call centers worldwide are being followed by every Cleave Global representative.

Regular training sessions including soft skills is provided to every representative to sharpen their skills and knowledge to sustain continuous improvement and to promote customer-centric approach. All projects follow a well-defined set of quality programs and procedures, which involves detailed estimations and clearly defined goal setting for every individual on the floor. This model-based approach has a strong process focusing on continuous improvement and comprises of guidelines, standards and templates adhering to the requirements of ISO 9001 and ISO 27001. Cleave Global is a certified BPO Services provider for Quality by Moody International, UK. Cleave Global provides specialized solutions on improving customer retention and increasing revenue per client. We strive to continuously improve our processes and performance to continue ISO certification. We are aiming to continually deliver the best services and remain as one of forerunners in the outsourcing services industry in India…